Mystery Books Review
“The Blue Cheer is a P. I. novel at its best and deserves to be recognized as such.”

Book Reporter“THE BLUE CHEER may well be the novel that brings Lynskey the attention he deserves. Though the book starts slowly, he demonstrates soon enough that he is capable of catching readers totally off-guard. Lynskey also is not one to shy away from controversy, and before the story ends, he touches on an issue of racial politics — not a simple topic by any means — that is rarely raised or discussed but that is integral to one of the novel’s more challenging subplots. His talent runs deep and dark, revealed full force in a tale you will not forget. ”

Blogs:

Berkeley Heights Public Library Book Blog“…mystery fans who like character-driven suspense and more great lines in the tough-guy style, should get on the reserve list for this author who is getting consistently great reviews.”

Westport Public Library“If you are a fan of the noir mystery, you might want to fall into step with Johnson, beginning with the Dirt-Brown Derby, an earlier Johnson mystery set among the Virginia horsey set…Not the horsey set, however, of Rita Mae Brown’s cozy Crozet folk, by any means.”

“Zackel’s novel is a perfect period piece, capturing the aimlessness and permissiveness of the 70’s, not to mention the sideburns and mustaches. The rainy, empty streets of San Francisco at New Year serve as a perfect setting for a story of ruined dreams and doomed love.”

“With a simple but effective plot and understated prose, this outstanding ‘redneck noir’ successfully gives the windswept Texas plains the feel of mean city streets . . . In the spirit of the genre, Reasoner (Texas Wind) saves the final chilling revelations for the very end, captivating the reader with other twists and turns along the way.”